fta...the filing proposes a system that converts rotational energy from the turbine into heat, which is then stored in a "low-heat-capacity" fluid. From storage, heat can be selectively transferred to a "working fluid" that is used to generate electricity during lulls in wind activity.

In some embodiments, heat is generated from the friction created between blades connected to the rotor shaft and the low-heat-capacity fluid, such as mercury, ethanol or an inert gas, in which they are immersed.

Notabunny:fta ...the filing proposes a system that converts rotational energy from the turbine into heat, which is then stored in a "low-heat-capacity" fluid. From storage, heat can be selectively transferred to a "working fluid" that is used to generate electricity during lulls in wind activity.

AverageAmericanGuy:So if you invent something while working at Apple, they're going to keep the patent?

Yes. That's a pretty standard agreement with many companies. Hell, I had a friend who used to work at the counter at Radio Shack, and he had to sign an agreement promising to give them patents on anything he invented while employed there. Of course, I'm ancient, so this was when Radio Shack still sold electronics components.

I've seen some similar designs over the past few years. The medium here is a bit different but the storage of heat that is later used to generate steam is consistent with those other designs. It seems like a workable concept that could make wind technology more viable and competitive. Cue outraged environmentalists and deranged leftists to begin marching and protesting as soon as they can fabricate a straw man to vilify.

No, they patented a different windmill, not a better one. You have to have a really good reason to want to store your energy in the form of heat, which is the "lowest" grade of energy and necessarily requires massive inefficiencies to transfer it back to work or electricity.

I read that as treadmill at first. That would be kind of interesting. Download apps, movies, and music to your treadmill. Hike your favorite trail with your iphone then upload the altitude change rates into the treadmill to mimic the trail.

ck1938:I've seen some similar designs over the past few years. The medium here is a bit different but the storage of heat that is later used to generate steam is consistent with those other designs. It seems like a workable concept that could make wind technology more viable and competitive. Cue outraged environmentalists and deranged leftists to begin marching and protesting as soon as they can fabricate a straw man to vilify.

More like "cue the Teahadists if the government dares to spend a billionth of a percent of what it spends on oil subsidies for any programs to make this technology commercially viable."

Sweet, a patent on a useful new energy technology in the hands of a company in no way positioned to take advantage of it that also has a history of aggressively interpreting the scope of their own IP and attempting to remove competition from the market through expensive litigation. End result: this tech will now never see the light of day, because startups (even billion-dollar energy startups) won't be able to afford to try anything close to this for twenty years, because they don't have the money to defend it in court, and Apple isn't really in a position to suddenly branch out to, uh, windmills.

AverageAmericanGuy:So if you invent something while working at Apple, they're going to keep the patent?

Yup.

Funny story about that and Apple, actually.

Woz was working at HP when he made the first Apple I. As per his contract anything Woz Invented belonged to them. So he pitched the idea whole-heartidly to his bosses there (he loved his job at HP) who thought the Personal Computer wasn't something HP wanted to be involved in and passed on it. Jobs and Woz went on to create Apple Computer, Inc.

The lesson just about every tech company took from that is to never turn down an idea an employee comes up with. Even if you never intend to use it.

The company I work for actually have bonuses for filing patents on things we create in the company name. Even if you get turned down you can get Hundreds of dollars just for making the filing. If your idea gets approved, you can make thousands.

Theaetetus:Dokushin: Sweet, a patent on a useful new energy technology in the hands of a company in no way positioned to take advantage of it

Oh, snap.

Okay, okay, my statement was a little broad. I maintain, however, that this tech will never see general adoption, because the entity holding the patent can't effectively capitalize on it. At most, they could license it, but (as I stated before) Apple doesn't play ball with redistributors. With the aforementioned secondary effects on the future availability of this tech. (I maintain this argument regardless of the technical merit, which I am not fit to judge here.)

Speaker2Animals:More like "cue the Teahadists if the government dares to spend a billionth of a percent of what it spends on oil subsidies for any programs to make this technology commercially viable."

You are absolutely right. The only way Apple could develop a new technology and bring it to market is with a massive government subsidy.

Dokushin:I maintain, however, that this tech will never see general adoption, because the entity holding the patent can't effectively capitalize on it. At most, they could license it, but (as I stated before) Apple doesn't play ball with redistributors.

Yeah, Apple is primarily a computing hardware company and secondarily a software company, and would never effectively capitalize on, individually or with partners, cameras retail computer salesmusic players music salesmobile phonesmovie sales movie rentals book sales windmills.

Hollie Maea:No, they patented a different windmill, not a better one. You have to have a really good reason to want to store your energy in the form of heat, which is the "lowest" grade of energy and necessarily requires massive inefficiencies to transfer it back to work or electricity.

dbirchall:Dokushin: I maintain, however, that this tech will never see general adoption, because the entity holding the patent can't effectively capitalize on it. At most, they could license it, but (as I stated before) Apple doesn't play ball with redistributors.

Yeah, Apple is primarily a computing hardware company and secondarily a software company, and would never effectively capitalize on, individually or with partners, cameras retail computer sales music players music sales mobile phones movie sales movie rentals book sales windmills.

Small consumer electronics are the same as windmills? We'll get that General Electric CPU any day now, I'm sure. I'm surprised your blind apple faith lasted through the time it took to do those strikeouts, keeping you from noticing what you were saying.

davidphogan:Hollie Maea: No, they patented a different windmill, not a better one. You have to have a really good reason to want to store your energy in the form of heat, which is the "lowest" grade of energy and necessarily requires massive inefficiencies to transfer it back to work or electricity.